Liu Sicheng was dressed and bowed.

"Sicheng has seen Mr. ”

Hua Wu raised his hand slightly. "King Ji is so polite, the old man is ashamed to be ashamed. ”

Liu Sicheng stepped forward and hugged Hua Wu with both hands and let him into the house. "Sir, please be seated. Hua Wu didn't speak, and sat down on the big chair in front of the bookcase with Liu Sicheng.

The housekeeper hurriedly moved a chair and placed it next to the bookcase. Hua Wu saw that Liu Sicheng was still standing respectfully on the side, so he raised his hand to signal, and Liu Sicheng also sat down when he saw this.

The attendant brought a cup of tea from outside, and then withdrew with the butler. Hua Wu glanced at Liu Sicheng. "How is King Ji doing recently?"

"Mr. Lao asks movingly, Sicheng is good"

Hua Wu stared at Liu Sicheng for a while, then sighed and said, "Does King Ji know the old decay of the Spring and Autumn Period?"

Liu Sicheng was stunned. "The gentleman is over eighty years old. ”

Hua Wu laughed softly: "The old man is one hundred and eighty-three years old. After speaking, he picked up the teacup. Liu Sicheng hurriedly got up and wanted to make ginseng soup, and Hua Wu shook his head slightly. "No, you don't. Liu Sicheng didn't say much, put down the small bowl and sat down.

Hua Wu took a sip of tea, as if he was reminiscing. Liu Sicheng said: "Mr. is so long-lived, isn't he a god?" Liu Sicheng respected Hua Wu very much from the heart, and never doubted Hua Wu's words, and his expression was very sincere when he asked.

Hua Wu said lightly: "I am afraid that the old decay will soon be alive, what kind of immortal is there." King Ji was really calm, and he heard that Hua 5180 was more than curious. ”

Liu Sicheng hurriedly got up and saluted. "Sicheng is stupid, and he hasn't come back to his senses when he hears what Mr. said. Mr. is in good health, how can he say that he will die soon? But if Sicheng can do it, he will do his best. ”

This time, Hua Wu did not let Liu Sicheng sit down, and Liu Sicheng kept standing on Hua Wu's side. Liu Sicheng is very smart, and when he saw Hua Wu speaking strangely today, he guessed that there must be something behind him, so he said so.

Since they met, Liu Sicheng and Hua Wu have only been together for more than two years, and they don't know much about each other or Liu Sicheng about Hua Wu.

Liu Sicheng is the prince of Anguo and the king of Ji, and his identity is so noble. Hua Wu is just a cloth cloth, which is rare in the world. From deliberate flattery to sincere convincing, Liu Sicheng's mentality changes are known only to himself.

Liu Sicheng has always wondered why Hua Wu wants to follow him. Hua has been in the past five years and lives a simple life. I haven't seen his family's heirs, and I don't want to be prosperous and rich, and I always feel a little uneasy when I think of this. Looking at the meaning of Hua Wu today, it seems that he wants to solve his confusion.

Hua Wu said: "King Ji has always wondered why the old man wants to take refuge in King Ji, Hua Wu does ask for King Ji, King Ji allows it or not, and the old man does not force it." Let's talk about King Ji's own affairs first. There will be sudden changes in the Anguo court, and the situation of King Ji will be very difficult, so it is advisable to plan early. ”

After speaking, Hua Wu looked at Liu Sicheng to see his reaction. Liu Sicheng was very convinced of Hua Wu, and his face changed greatly when he heard it, and he hurriedly asked, "How did it change suddenly?"

Hua Wu was silent.

Liu Sicheng calmed down and said, "Sir, Sicheng is in trouble, please save me." Liu Sicheng has always stood and spoke, and this time he did not give a salute.

When I asked Hua Wu how he changed suddenly, he saw that Hua Wu was silent, and Liu Sicheng's imperial bloodline was arrogant. Therefore, even if there is a request for others, it is also graceful and generous, and the instrument is magnificent.

Hua Wu nodded. "With the momentum of King Ji, he will not lose all the games. The secret of heaven cannot be revealed, but people still have something to do. ”

Listening to Hua Wu's words, Liu Sicheng hurriedly bowed. "Sir taught me. ”

Hua Wudao: "The old decay has a spirit talisman, and when King Ji is in danger, he can be incinerated and swallowed with water, and his face and voice will change." This talisman is afraid of filth, and if it is sprayed with dog blood, it will break the spell. After speaking, he took out a piece of yellow paper two fingers wide and five inches long from his sleeve, on which was the seal text painted by Zhu Sha, handed it over, and Liu Sicheng accepted it and put it in his arms.

"Emperor Qiantai has a decree to come to King Ji to obey, and King Ji and the princess have a pair of children to entrust to Su Maha. Princess Ji and Princess Pan are sisters, so you don't have to worry about staying in the palace. ”

Hua Wu continued: "The old decay leaked the heavenly secrets, and his life was short. I have built a yin house in Gaozhou, and after my death, I will listen to the moon and bury the old decay. After speaking, he took out a one-foot-square piece of white silk from his sleeve and spread it on the bookcase, which was a picture.

Liu Sicheng looked at it carefully, the picture was concise and rough, but he understood very well that it was a map of the location of the Huawu Mausoleum. Liu Sicheng remembered it attentively and looked up at Hua Wu.

Hua Wu took Bai Aya back. "King Ji, the old man has a reluctant request, if King Ji can inherit the unification. When he was the emperor, he went to worship in front of the five graves in China. ”

Liu Sicheng was about to speak, but Hua Wu waved his hand and said, "King Ji doesn't have to answer." After speaking, Hua Wu stood up and walked out, Liu Sicheng stepped forward to help him go out, the housekeeper set up the car, and Liu Sicheng personally sent Hua Wu back to the idle courtyard.

After getting out of the car, Liu Sicheng helped Hua Wu to the door, and Tingyue was waiting there. As soon as he entered the small courtyard, he saw a coffin suddenly placed in the courtyard, Liu Sicheng chuckled in his heart, and he didn't dare to ask.

Entering the east wing, I looked at Na Hua Wu under the lamp, and his face was blue. Liu Sicheng and Tingyue helped Hua Wu lie down, and Hua Wu said: "Listen to the moon and return the silver ticket to King Ji." ”

Tingyue brought a stack of silver tickets, which were six million taels sent by Liu Sicheng that day.

"On that day, I asked the king to collect grain, saying that he was going to take two percent of the profits, but it was to urge the prince to do his best, and the prince would use more silver in the future, so take it back. ”

Liu Sicheng took the silver ticket and was about to speak, when he saw Hua's five legs kicked, and he actually passed. Liu Sicheng hurriedly stretched out his hand to probe, Hua Wu's pulse was gone, and he had passed away.

Liu Sicheng shed tears and looked at Tingyue, Tingyue's face was full of sadness, but he didn't cry. Liu Sicheng asked: "How is it good for Mr. to pass away?"

"Mr. knows that today is its limit, and the future has been arranged, tomorrow I will listen to the moon and help Zizi go to Gaozhou for burial, and I dare not work in the palace. ”

Liu Sicheng knew that it was Hua Wu's meaning, so he sat with Tingyue in the east wing for one night, and only returned to the palace in the early morning.

Two days later, Qiantai sent his confidant to the king of Ji, bringing a letter and a wooden box with a seal.

Qiantai told Liu Sicheng in the letter: Liu Sishi has already controlled the army in the capital, and he is in danger, if the situation changes, Liu Sicheng should flee, and he must not support troops to fight, if the country is in war, Anguo will have the disaster of overthrowing.

In the wooden box is a copper wrench, only it can pull away the unrelated bow of the Xianyou Palace, even if Liu Sishi steals the big position, if he can't pull the unrelated bow during the enthronement ceremony, the name is not right.

This is also an opportunity left by your father, and only when the border between Anbai is stabilized can you raise an army to rebel. When the emperors of the past dynasties drew the bow, they never exposed the secret of the copper wrench, but when the great throne was inherited, the emperor informed the successor or the secret decree, or personally explained, so it must not be revealed.

Liu Sicheng knew that the general trend had gone, and he had to do what Qiantai and Hua Wu said. The secret guard Li Yuan carried gold, silver and jewelry, sent his sons and daughters to the White Kingdom, and asked Su Maha to take refuge.

The sale of the antique jade artifacts in the fields and manors of the palace is not a small amount of silver. summoned Zhang Wang and other henchmen to discuss, Liu Sicheng did not inform them of the details, but only said that if he could not inherit the throne, King Pan would definitely kill the king. Now that the power of the Pan King Party in the court is large, the situation will be unfavorable to this king in the future.

Zhang Wang and others all advised Liu Sicheng not to worry, because the three northern states had a million soldiers, how could they sit idly by and wait for death? At worst, they could support the army and divide the territory.

"For the sake of the country, you can't raise troops to fight, if the dynasty is overthrown because of this king, how can you be worthy of the ancestors of the Liu family?"

The crowd was silent.

Liu Sicheng took out 20 million taels of silver and handed it over to Zhang Wang in public. "Let's discuss it, divide the silver two with the powerful people in the army, stabilize the morale of the army, and don't take advantage of the white country. Zhang Wang and the others said goodbye and left.

After Liu Sicheng discussed with the princess, he left some gold and silver to maintain the future use of the princess and others, and Liu Sicheng took the rest of the about 60 million taels of silver tickets with him. Waiting for news every day, Liu Sicheng is very anxious.

......

One day, after eating dinner, Qiantai suddenly had abdominal pain, and soon bled to death. King Pan's party supported Liu Shi's ascension to the throne and changed the country's name to "Tianshun".

Liu Shi went to the Xianyou Hall in advance, and took the bow for a try, but he couldn't pull it open. Ask the hall master of Xianyou Palace, King Kang only said that the succession to the throne of the Son of Heaven can be opened, and the hall master is the uncle of Emperor Qiantai Liu Zhou, and he is also the master of Liu Shi and Liu Sicheng, and he will not lie.

The enthronement ceremony omitted the ceremony of opening the bow, and the ministers of the court and the people of the capital had some doubts about whether Liu Sishi was the true son of heaven.

Emperor Tianshun quickly investigated and dealt with the poisoning case of the first emperor and arrested the poisoner. A eunuch confessed that he had been bribed by King Ji, poisoned Qiantai, and was immediately executed by Tianshun. The ministers of the Jiwang Party were convicted of dissent.

Liu Sicheng had to fly the pigeon to pass the book and fled overnight.

Qiantai's funeral was grand, and during this period, the news of King Ji's absconding came. This made Liu Sishi, the newly enthroned emperor of Tianshun, relieved, the northern three states have millions of military horses, and if the king of Ji supports troops to fight, the outcome is unpredictable.

Even if Tianshun can win, the white country has coveted the three northern states for a long time, and the civil strife in Angola will hurt the country's capital, and it is inevitable to cede land and seek peace.

As soon as King Ji left, the charge of killing the king and usurping the throne was implemented. Tianshun ordered the arrest of Liu Sicheng and sent personnel to pacify the troops in the three northern states. They did not dare to make a big move against the generals in the three northern states, for fear of provoking a mutiny.

A qiē is unexpectedly smooth, but the king of Ji and his children are missing. Princess Ji is the queen's own sister. Moreover, his father held the military power, and he was originally a party of King Pan, but Tianshun relied on Tianshun in the court, and he also pleaded with Tianshun in person. Tianshun did not embarrass the princess.

......

The sun was shining cloudless, and Liu Sicheng felt cold in this midsummer day. After more than 20 days on the road, he finally came to the capital of Gaozhou, the capital of Gaozhou in western Angola Province.

On that day, Liu Sicheng learned that Qiantai was killed, bid farewell to the princess, and went out of the city alone overnight, incinerated the talisman that Hua Wu gave him to change his voice, and used the water he brought with him to adjust it. Find an inn outside the city.

When washing his face, he took a look at his appearance, he was in his thirties, with white skin and good appearance. It's not what I was at all. That's when I was relieved.

He had already planned to go to Gaozhou to avoid the pursuit of the imperial court. As for why he chose Gaozhou, it was mainly because of Hua Wu, Liu Sicheng thought that since Hua Wu was buried in Gaozhou, there must be a reason, so he wanted to go and see it in person.

Thinking of Hua Wu's death was like a dream, and a stranger went like this? Liu Sicheng was a little skeptical.

In addition, Gaozhou borders Liguo, and Anguo and Liguo also have disputes from time to time, and the hostility between the two countries is also convenient for him to abscond.

Along the way, the reward for arresting Liu Sicheng continued to increase, and now the notice of the Gaozhou City Gate is already 100,000 households, and the title of the marquis is the pinnacle of wealth coveted by people all over the world, and Liu Sicheng feels the danger.

On the thoroughfare in Gaozhou City, the cars and horses are sparkling and the pedestrians are noisy, Liu Sicheng is reluctant to stay in a crowded place, although he has been disguised, no one can recognize him, but he is careful.

Walking into a side street, walking a few steps, I saw a wine shop, with a blue wine banner at the door. Liu Sicheng walked in, found a secluded table and sat down, Xiao Er ran over attentively, "Guest officer, the shop has a good reed white, do you always try it?" Liu Sicheng nodded, "A dime of wine, a pound of cooked beef, and a pound of cakes." ”

Xiao Er went down, and after a while, he brought the wine and food. "Slow to use as a guest. Liu Sicheng took a sip of wine, which was difficult to swallow, and it was not as good as the wine in the palace.

Thinking of his current situation, the reed white taste in his mouth is much sweeter. I can't help but smile secretly, as the saying goes, there is no unbearable sin, only happiness that cannot be enjoyed.

Looking around, the business of the wine shop is acceptable, and there are customers at several tables next to him, chatting about wine. Liu Sicheng didn't have an idea in his heart, so he simply listened to what the guests next to him said, understood the local situation and then made a calculation.

There are four old men at the adjacent table, just ordinary people's clothes, and you will know a rough idea after listening to it.

The first one sat was a housekeeper of the Yi family, a big family in the city, and the other three were all small businessmen, and they wanted to come to the housekeeper to help the three of them in their business on weekdays, so these three people invited each other and invited the housekeeper to drink. It looks like an old friend, and there are not too many politenesses, and most of the talk is about the life of the Yi family.

Suddenly, the housekeeper said: "My master wants to invite a gentleman for the young master, I wonder if you have a suitable recommendation?" The three of them thought about it and said no, and after everyone talked about some other topics, they all got up and left.

In the doorway came a boy of twelve or thirteen years old, not tall, with slender eyes, slightly darker skin, and patches on his clothes. Carry a bamboo basket to each table to sell melon seeds and maltose.

Liu Sicheng has a pair of children, the son is eight years old, the county lord is six years old, although the son is four or five years younger than the boy, look closely at the boy's eyebrows and his own son is somewhat similar, Liu Sicheng abandoned the throne and went into exile in Gaozhou, naturally a little depressed, the so-called hero is short of breath and the love of children is long, and he can't help but miss his own wife and children.

Glory and wealth are just passing clouds, and family affection is precious. Develop some closeness to the boy. beckoned him to come over, took out two copper coins, and bought a bag of melon seeds.

The child accepted the money and said, "Thank you, officer." "Walking around the liquor store, seeing that no one is buying his stuff anymore, he walks out the door.

Liu Sicheng had no grain to eat melon seeds, thinking about the words of the Yi family's housekeeper just now, and moved the idea of applying for the Yi family. The way I look now, there should be no flaws in pretending to be a teacher, and if there is a scholar, it will be more like.

After paying for wine and food, Liu Sicheng went out of the wine shop and walked to the street. Suddenly, I heard the voice of a woman scolding. Following the prestige, I saw a woman gritting her teeth and taking a stick of firewood. Beating and scolding a boy is probably saying that the child is stealing silver.

Liu Sicheng was not far away, and saw that it was the child who was selling the basket just now who was beaten. Liu Sicheng thought it was his mother at first.

Later, after listening to the woman's scolding, he knew that the child was just a little servant of his family, and Liu Sicheng saw that the woman was heavy, so he walked over.

In the end, it is the identity of the prince, and there is no negotiation when he speaks. "Stop. "It's not loud, but it's majestic.

The woman was stunned, glanced at Liu Sicheng, and said, "Who are you?"

"Passing. ”

"What are you doing?"

"I see that you don't take it lightly, and I'm afraid you will break him. ”

The woman said, "Why shouldn't he be beaten if he eats me, wears me, and steals my money?"

Liu Sicheng didn't want to bother with this matter, and besides, the woman's words also made some sense, so he asked, "How much silver did he steal from you?"

"One penny. ”

Liu Sicheng said: "I'll pay you back two coins of silver for him, can you spare him this time?" The boy collapsed and stiffened before, not saying a word. But when he heard this, he said, "I have not stolen any money. ”

The woman saw that Liu Sicheng was just calming down, and the young man said that he hadn't stolen the silver, so she couldn't help but become anxious.

"Two coins of silver can also come out to do chivalrous deeds? You little bastard, and now you have the support of a hero, you don't admit it? But the old lady is lying to you?"

At this time, some people were already gathered around to watch the excitement, and the woman was crazy, and it was difficult to speak.

When did Liu Sicheng suffer from this anger and was about to have a seizure, everyone saw that Liu Sicheng was dressed as a scholar, and some people advised him to leave this idle matter alone.

When the woman saw it, she refused to end more and more, and pulled Liu Sicheng's sleeve. "If you want to be a hero, the slave family will fulfill you, he was bought by the slave family for ten taels of silver, if you give ten taels to redeem him, he will not say stealing in the future, even robbing has nothing to do with the slave family. ”

Seeing that Liu Sicheng was not a rich man, this woman deliberately made things so difficult. Liu Sicheng didn't think about it, so he touched a silver ingot of ten taels from his body and threw it on the ground.

The woman did not know what to do, but when she saw that all the people were looking at her with their eyes, and could not repent, she picked up the silver ingots from the ground and went away in a daze. The people who watched the excitement also dispersed one after another.

Liu Sicheng was about to turn around and leave, when the boy shouted, "Engong." Liu Sicheng remembered the child, and took out some scattered silver from his body, "You take it to buy some food."

The boy didn't accept the money, bowed, straightened up and looked at Liu Sicheng and said, "Thank you for the rescue."

"Take it. ”

The "Xie Engong" child took the silver, looking like he wanted to say something.

"What else?"

The boy said: "My surname is Li, my name is Wumang, I want to follow Engong, Wumang has no relatives in Gaozhou, and there is no place to go." ”

Liu Sicheng said: "You think I look like a rich man?"

"Engong is not like a rich man, he is a scholar. Wumang doesn't want Engong to feed, the silver given by Engong is enough to make capital, sell some melon seeds, and maltose can feed Wumang. ”

"In that case, what can I do with me?" Liu Sicheng was a little curious.

"Engong is in the dust, he must have come from afar. Engong is warm-hearted, and he spent ten taels of silver for me, an irrelevant person, and there are a lot of people who have been abducted and deceived in Gaozhou, for fear that Mr. will suffer. ”

"Poor scholars are afraid of being cheated by people, but Wumang thinks about me?" Liu Sicheng already had the idea of being a scholar, so he chatted with him for a few words.

Li Wumang said: "Wumang sells some melon seeds and maltose during the day, and serves his children at night, and he has seen a lot of tricks in the market. ”

"Literate?"

Hearing this question, Li Wumang nodded and said, "Wumang is five years old and knows more than a thousand words. ”

"Come with me. ”

After Liu Sicheng took Li Wumang to find an inn to live in, he went to a ready-to-wear store pù to buy two sets of clothes per person, and returned to the inn to freshen up and change clothes.

After returning to the guest room after dinner, Li Wumang made Liu Sicheng a cup of tea. Liu Sicheng said: "Wumang, you sit down." ”

Li Wumang knew that Liu Sicheng had something to say, so he hurriedly sat down.

"My name is Wang Ji. Liu Sicheng turned his title upside down and made a pseudonym. "Xiuzhou people, since childhood, have no choice but to try and fail, this time out to travel, but also to relax. Looking at Li Wumang, Liu Sicheng said, "Tell me about you." ”

"Wumang is a native of Yizhou in the north of the three states, thirteen years old this year, Anbai and the two countries exchanged troops, my parents took me to this Gaozhou to join my relatives, I met bandits on the road, the family was separated, Wumang drifted here alone, and also found relatives, just hit Wumang, is a distant aunt, Wumang is just a subordinate in their family, and he is not happy to beat or scold. My uncle was a drunkard and gambler, and when he lost, he stole the family's money, and my aunt took out his anger at me, and the same is true today. Wumang lives in his house, waiting for news from his parents. I don't know the life and death of the two old people, I'm afraid it's ······" It's a bit sad to say that.

"You said you read a book?"

"Wumang is a family of Zhuang family, entered a private school at the age of five, and studied for five years. ”

Liu Sicheng said: "I've been out for a long time, I'm shy, and I want to find a teacher to do, do you know the Yi family?"

"The Yi family in the city is a famous family, and the list of courtesies and appointments to the east seat has been posted at the door in the past two days. ”

"What is the origin of the Yi family?"

Li Wumang said: "The Yi family is one of the largest households in Gaozhou, and the old lady's name is Yi Lin, who is a first-class official residence of the imperial court, and has retired at home for many years. The lord is an official in the capital, and he is inviting a gentleman for the young master. ”

Liu Sicheng listened to Li Wumang's words, he looked like he had read a book, and secretly thought that this scholar was also suitable.

"Can the Yi family please Mr.?"

Li Wumang said: "Not yet, Master Yi is very knowledgeable, and no one dares to apply." ”

"How does Wumang know so much?"

Li Wumang said: "Engong, Wumang's basket hawker walks the streets and alleys, I don't know anything about Gaozhou, and Wumang also knows a lot about the tricks in the market." ”

When he got up early in the morning of the second day, Li Wumang waited for Liu Sicheng to freshen up and change clothes. Liu Sicheng found out a few pieces of broken silver. "I'm going out to see today, you don't have to follow. ”

"Without silver, there is no mango to feed yourself. ”

"Wait here for me when it's dark. Liu Sicheng threw the silver on the table and walked out of the door.

Li Wumang put away the silver, changed his old clothes from yesterday, went to the store where he bought on weekdays, asked the shopkeeper to borrow a bamboo basket, and used the broken silver given by Liu Sicheng to buy some melon seeds and maltose. As always, they are on the streets.

......

After Liu Sicheng went out, he found Yifu, and saw that there was a list on one side of the gate, and he took it down after looking at it. When the housekeeper at the door saw him, he greeted him and said, "Sir, can you see clearly?"

"See clearly. ”

"Please come with me. ”

Liu Sicheng followed the family into the Yi Mansion, and when he arrived in the living room, the family asked Liu Sicheng to sit first, and the maid sent a cup of tea. After a while, Yi Lin, the old lady of the Yi family, came to the living room. Yi Lin is nearly eighty years old, with a ruddy complexion and a very rich state.